Arteta can unearth the new Haaland as AFC plot bid for "world-class" 23-goal "diamond" - opinion

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s January departure having left Mikel Arteta and Arsenal extremely short of choice up top, the signing of a new centre-forward will undoubtedly be high on the Spaniard’s list of priorities in the summer transfer window.

And, according to Goal, one player the 39-year-old manager could look to bring in at the end of the season is RB Salzburg striker Roko Simic – the 18-year-old who is enjoying a rapidly growing reputation in world football.

Indeed, the youngster was recently named in Goal’s top 50 wonderkids born on or after January 1 2003, and has already been likened to both Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic.

It is not difficult to see where these comparisons are based, as, standing at 6 foot 3 tall and possessing a clear eye for goal, there are quite obvious similarities between Simic and the aforementioned duo.

The Croatia U21 international has also drawn considerable praise from his compatriot Nikica Jelavic, with the former Everton hitman stating of the teenager: “Roko is certainly one of the greatest talents in Croatian football! He’s a real rough diamond.

“He is gaining experience, I played with him and as one of the older players, we helped him along. Everyone knows who he is because of his famous father, but that’s a burden that will shortly be off his back because he’s good enough to write his own story.

“I am convinced that Roko will make a great career and that he will be a world-class striker, I really haven’t seen a more talented player than Roko for a long time.”

Jelavic’s gushing would appear to be backed up by the youngster’s statistics, with Simic having torn up 2. Liga since his season-long loan switch to FC Liefering last summer, bagging 12